Anthropogenic Activities and the Degradation of the Environmental Quality in Poor Neighborhoods of Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire: Abia Koumassi Village
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Journal of Environmental Protection, 2013, 4, 1099-1107 1099 http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jep.2013.410126 Published Online October 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/jep) Anthropogenic Activities and the Degradation of the Environmental Quality in Poor Neighborhoods of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire: Abia Koumassi Village S. Loko1, K. E. Ahoussi2, Y. B. Koffi2, A. M. Kouassi3, J. Biémi2 1Laboratoire de chimie et de Microbiologie, Université Technologique et Tertiaire Loko (UTTLOKO), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; 2Unité de Formation et de Recherche (UFR) des Sciences de la terre et des Ressources Minières (STRM), Université de Cocody, Cocody, Côte d’Ivoire; 3Département des Sciences de la Terre et des Ressources Minières (STeRMi), Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët Boigny (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire. Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Received May 22nd, 2013; revised June 27th, 2013; accepted July 29th, 2013 Copyright © 2013 S. Loko et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ABSTRACT This study deals with the degradation of the quality of the water environment in the village of Abia Koumassi, due to the pollution that has risen in Abidjan. The method used in this study is based on piezometric measurements, the physico-chemical and microbiological analysis. The results were processed using statistical and hydrochemical methods. The groundwater in the village is shallow, with a piezometric average level 0.55 m. The groundwater flows from the north of the village to the south. The Water resources have a neutral pH that varies between 6.8 and 7.43. Water temperature varies from 27.7˚C to 29.8˚C. The Water is highly mineralized, with electrical conductivity ranging from 585 µS/cm to 1310 µS/cm. The groundwater contains high levels of nitrate (116.81 mg·L−1) greater than the WHO standard for drinking water. High levels of Metallic Trace Elements (Ni, Zn, Co, Cr, Pb, Fe, Cu and Cd) are found in the water. Microbiological analysis shows that the water contains important levels of Escherichia coli, faecal streptococci, Clostridium perfringens and thermo tolerant coliform. These microorganisms create microbiological pollution in the water from the area. The Water resources of the village are facing a recent faecal pollution of human origin. This pollution comes from anthropogenic activities taking place in the area. Keywords: Anthropogenic Activities; Environment; Pollution; Water Sanitation and Quality 1. Introduction lems. Studies by [2-4] showed significant levels of nitrate, fecal coliform and lead in the groundwater from Abidjan. Abidjan where the village of Abia Koumassi is located is currently experiencing a population growth, rapid Indus- The study of [5] about water and sediments of the Ebrié trialization and urbanization and unplanned growth. This lagoon showed also high levels of Metallic Trace Ele- change causes so many problems that the authorities must ments in the sediments of the same lagoon. According to solve. Among these problems, we can mention the pollu- these authors, this lagoon is subject to anthropogenic tion of water resources. Many industrial and domestic pollution due to the discharge of domestic and industrial activities are probably a real danger to the urban envi- sewage untreated or inadequately treated. Metallic Trace ronment. Elements are factors of important pollution in aquatic In this locality, the various districts do not have ade- ecosystems [6] because of their toxicity and ability to quate provisions because all the sewage and sanitation accumulate in biota. According to these authors, one of system of Abidjan is insufficient, with many gaps. Ac- the important properties of Metallic Trace Elements re- cording to [1], the rate of household connections to the sults from production activities and human consumption. sewerage system is limited to 29%. The uncollected wastes These elements are not biodegradable. (45%) are found directly in the nature involving the risk The development of industrial activities notably the of deterioration of groundwater quality. The groundwater sector of oil field in Côte d’Ivoire in the south of Abidjan in the city of Abidjan is subject to various pollution prob- is not without risk for groundwater pollution. The Ground- Copyright © 2013 SciRes. JEP 1100 Anthropogenic Activities and the Degradation of the Environmental Quality in Poor Neighborhoods of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire: Abia Koumassi Village water from this area is supplied by direct infiltration of 2. Material and Methods rainwater. The stormwater infiltration is favored by a high 2.1. Study Area coefficient of infiltration and a low level of water from the Quaternary [7]. However, a large part of the popula- Abidjan is located in the south of Côte d’Ivoire, between tion, especially in the south of Abidjan in general and in latitudes 5˚00' and 5˚30' North and longitudes 3˚50' and the village of Abia Koumassi in particular uses water of 4˚10' West. It consists of ten municipalities, including the shallow aquifer for domestic needs. In all the world, that of Koumasi where the village of Abia Koumasi is water pollution is one of the most crucial problems which located (Figure 1). Abia Koumasi is located in the south every country must solved. To date, many researchers of the town of Port-Bouet and has about 4000 inhabitants. have conducted extensive surveys of water resources con- People who live in this village are mostly indigenous tamination [8-10]. The results demonstrated that the pol- Ebrié, the Ivorian immigrants from other regions of Côte lution of water results from anthropogenic activities of d’Ivoire. In addition to these populations, there are alien different regions. This study aims to assess environmental from the Economic Community of West African States risks linked to human activities on the quality of the wa- and other countries bordering Côte d’Ivoire. The geology ter in the village of Abia Koumassi. of the village of Abia Koumassi is the same with the Figure 1. Presentation of the study area and the location of sampling points of water. Copyright © 2013 SciRes. JEP Anthropogenic Activities and the Degradation of the Environmental Quality in Poor Neighborhoods of Abidjan, 1101 Côte d’Ivoire: Abia Koumassi Village Southern District of Abidjan, located on the coastal sedi- 2.3. Water Sampling Method mentary basin of Côte d’Ivoire. The bedrock geological A hydrochemical and microbiological sampling of the of the District of Abidjan consists of two main types of water resources of the village Abia Koumassi was con- rocks: Precambrian basement and coastal sedimentary ducted in june 2010. This period of water sampling in basin. In the Abidjan area, outcrops of Precambrian are Abidjan was the rainy season. The samples were focused rare. It is only found in Anyama and North-East Attiékoi. on well water and water from the Ebrié lagoon. During The Continental Terminal, formation of Mio-Pliocene this campaign, the water samples for chemical analysis age is characterized by a lenticular stratification, coarse were collected in polyethylene bottles of 1 liter capacity, sands, clays of variegated ferruginous sandstone and iron previously washed with nitric acid and then with distilled ore. On the paleogeograhic, from the Cretaceous to the water. On the field, before filling the bottles, they were Quaternary three episodes of transgression are well known: washed three times with water to collect. Albo-Aptian: clays and sandstones of the Lower Creta- Bottle filling was done to the brim and the screw cap ceous, Maastrichtian-Eocene: glauconitic clays, sands and to prevent gas exchange with the atmosphere. Water sam- clays and lower Miocene: black marl relics sharks, col- ples were then transported in a cooler at 4˚C for labora- orful clays and lignites. During periods of transgression, tory for analysis in the hour of sampling. During sam- marine sediments are clays, marl, sandstone, sand and pling, the physical parameters of water (the Ebrié lagoon limestone shells, or lumachelliques. It is also found in and groundwater) such as temperature (T), pH and elec- these formations Foraminifera, Ammonite and Nautilus trical conductivity (EC), salinity, dissolved oxygen (O2) features, notably on the beaches of Fresco. However, these and the redox potential (Eh) were measured. In total, we episodes of marine sedimentation interspersed with con- have collected for chemical analysis 10 samples with 8 tinental phases related to a decline in the sea. From the hand dug wells and 2 Ebrié lagoon. On the water samples, structural point of view, the ivorian sedimentary basin is two types of analysis were performed. It is the analysis of crossed by a large fault called the East-West fault la- major ions and metallic trace elements. For major ions, goons south dipping, with a rejection reaching 5000 m. 2+ 2+ + + 2+ elements analyzed are Ca , Mg , Na , K , NH4 , Fe In the area, the Quaternary aquifer contains the most 2 for cations and SO4 , HCO3 , NO3 for anions. Metals vulnerable water in Abidjan. The Quaternary aquifer has such as Mn, Ni, Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr and Co were deter- from top to bottom four (4) horizons. Formations 1 and 2 mined in water. The Metallic Trace Elements were ana- are generally marly clay and waterproof. It contains also lyzed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). two types of groundwater. The Oogolien groundwater Samples for bacteriological analysis were collected in grows mainly in fine to coarse sand of layer 3, while that 500 ml bottles previously sterilized and kept free from of Nouakchottian lays in coarse marine sands layer 4. contamination in a cooler at 4˚C. In these samples, bacte- The piezometric level of groundwater in the aquifer is riological analysis has concerned bacteria such as Es- shallow and varies from 0 to 1 m.